"What is Philip Hammond Playing At?" Asks Kevin Maguire

28 October 2018, 16:19 | Updated: 29 October 2018, 10:36

Kevin Maguire has torn apart the Chancellor's budget, pointing out that more cash will go into potholes than into social care.

Chancellor Philip Hammond will make the announcement in Monday's budget that local councils in England are to get an extra £420m to tackle a growing number of potholes, alongside a £28.8bn fund to upgrade England's motorways. In light of this announcement, Kevin Maguire asked "where is the funding for social care?"

"The Chancellor seems to be focusing on filling in potholes rather than the gaps in social care, when people are left in their homes without anyone to look after them when they're vulnerable", Kevin said.

"You've probably grafted all your life, you've paid your taxes and then when you get old and you hope the welfare state is there for you...the money ain't there. And if you've got any savings, they'll be gone very quickly", he fumed.

"I'm just wondering what Philip Hammond is playing at in this budget tomorrow. Why is he going on about potholes and ignoring social care? The whisper is that he'll be spending about half on social care that he is on potholes, and he's not even spending enough on potholes."

Kevin pointed out that around £7 billion has gone out of the care system since 2010. "You can argue all you like whether austerity was a choice or whether it was necessary, whether it was ideological or it was something that had to come in after the great global collapse". Kevin then remarked that it's not "us" who caused the financial collapse, it's the bankers, and yet it is the most vulnerable in our society who are asked to pay the price.